Analysis | Host of U.N. climate summit moves to 'counteract all negative press'

The UAE hired a firm to ‘counteract’ critics before the COP28 climate talks The United Arab Emirates has hired a strategic communications firm to “counteract all negative press and media reports” about its role in hosting the next United Nations climate summit, known as COP28, according to federal disclosure filings reviewed by The Climate 202. The contract with First International Resources comes as the UAE faces a barrage of negative headlines over its decision to name an oil industry executive as president of the global climate gathering. Activists have called the move to appoint Sultan Al Jaber, who runs the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., “tantamount to putting the head of a tobacco company in charge of negotiating an anti-smoking treaty.” First International Resources will aim to tell a different narrative. The New Jersey-based firm will seek to “reinforce attitudes among decision makers in Washington, DC and across Europe regarding the strategic value of the UAE in the global fight to address climate change,” according to the filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which were made public Friday. Under the terms of the contract, the UAE will pay the firm a monthly retainer fee of $100,000. The firm’s U.S.-focused efforts are expected to cost $132,500 and will include: — Providing guidance on “responding to and deflecting negative press reports” and “proactively ‘staying on message’ in all external communications with the media.” — Working to “solidify the position of the UAE as an innovative leader in global decarbonization efforts and the transition away from fossil fuels.” — Seeking to “strengthen the overall reputation and standing of the UAE, His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and COP28 among Western audiences” and to “leverage this enhanced reputation in order to most effectively inoculate Dr. Al Jaber and COP28 from any potential criticism.” The chairman and CEO of First International Resources, Zev Furst, specifically registered to represent the UAE’s state-owned renewable energy company Masdar, as did President Donny Furst and Executive Vice President Joe Shwirtz. In an apparent reference to the three men’s work with Jewish groups, the contract states: “If appropriate, the Consultant could also activate or mobilize our connections inside the ‘US Jewish Establishment’ to help support the campaign’s overall objectives.” Spokespeople for the COP28 presidency and First International Resources did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ‘Spin the public’ Jamie Henn, the founder and director of Fossil Free Media, which runs a campaign calling on public relations firms to drop fossil fuel industry clients, slammed the contract. He said First International Resources appears to be helping the UAE overstate its green credentials. “You don’t pay over $100,000 to a PR firm when you’re confident about your public image,” Henn told The Climate 202. “You pay that much when you want to spin the public to believe the impossible, which in this case is that the UAE and Dr. Al Jaber are really committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels.” Defenders of Al Jaber note that he is also the chairman of Masdar, which says it has invested in wind and solar energy projects with a combined value of more than $30 billion. They also note that the UAE has pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. Yet in recent months, a flurry of negative articles have highlighted the UAE’s plans to increase oil production by nearly 1 million barrels per day over the next four years, despite warnings from top scientists that the world must rapidly phase out fossil fuels. Reporting by the Guardian also revealed that Al Jaber’s team had edited Wikipedia pages about him, removing references to his oil industry ties and adding a quote from an editorial that called him “precisely the kind of ally the climate movement needs.” Not the first firm Amid the bad press, the UAE previously signed — and then abruptly terminated — contracts with at least two other strategic communications firms for reasons that remain unclear, Politico reported. — In September, Masdar hired the firm BCW to “engage in strategic communications activities to support the UAE in its role as host country in 2023 for COP28,” according to a federal disclosure form. But the firm’s work for Masdar ended in December, less than three months into a two-year agreement. — Another deal with Edelman, the world’s largest PR firm, ended in April after just four months. BCW spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan confirmed to The Climate 202 that the firm’s work for Masdar ended in December, while Edelman spokesman Michael Bush confirmed that the firm’s work for the UAE ended in April. Neither Sullivan nor Bush responded to follow-up questions about why the contracts were terminated. Last year’s COP27 climate talks in Egypt culminated with a deal to compensate vulnerable nations for costly climate disasters, but they made little progress on emissions-cutting measures that could prevent even worse disasters in the future. COP28 is scheduled to begin in November. Pressure points Gas utility leaves trade group, citing climate considerations Eversource, the largest energy utility in New England, has cut ties with the American Gas Association, a trade group that environmentalists have accused of fighting climate action nationwide, Miriam Wasser reports for WBUR. The utility canceled its membership in the trade group in early 2022 as part of a broader effort to prioritize “decarbonization,” spokesman Chris McKinnon said in an email. “Eversource is more than a natural gas utility,” McKinnon said. “It was a company-wide decision to withdraw membership from the American Gas Association and redirect costs to more targeted associations and memberships with a focus on decarbonization to support our company-wide operations.” The association has lobbied for “preemption laws” that prohibit cities from banning natural gas hookups in new buildings, and it has worked to counter scientific studies showing that gas stoves can emit harmful air pollution. Eversource appears to be the first utility to leave the trade association because of diverging climate views, said Charlie Spatz, a researcher with the Energy and Policy Institute, a utility watchdog group. Karen Harbert, the association’s president and CEO, declined to comment on Eversource’s exit or criticisms of the group’s climate record. She said only that “customers want natural gas” and that “ensuring access for the 187 million Americans who use it daily benefits families and the economy and is an important part of helping our nation achieve its energy and environment goals.” Extreme events Time is running out to save Florida’s coral reef A blistering marine heat wave is causing the worst coral bleaching event in Florida’s history, leaving scientists scrambling to save as many corals as possible, The Washington Post’s Allyson Chiu and Dino Grandoni report. South Florida is home to the only living barrier reef in the continental United States. As water temperatures have soared to record highs, scientists have observed widespread bleaching along parts of the roughly 360-mile-long reef. In the short term, experts are racing to rescue healthy coral stock by moving it into deeper, cooler water to wait out the heat wave. But in the long term, experts say restoring reefs won’t be enough, and humanity must also dramatically curb greenhouse gas emissions. “Without action on climate change, the coral reefs don’t stand a chance,” said Alice Grainger, senior director of communications for the nonprofit Coral Restoration Foundation. In the states Second gentleman touts climate funding for national parks Second gentleman Doug Emhoff today will visit Grand Teton National Park, where he will tout the Biden administration’s $44 million investment in strengthening climate resilience in America’s national parks, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the trip. The $44 million investment, which the Interior Department announced yesterday, comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law that President Biden signed nearly a year ago. The funding will support 43 projects across 39 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including: — Restoring whitebark pine at nine national parks in Montana, Wyoming, California and Washington, including Grand Teton. Whitebark pine, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, faces a combination of threats from a fungal disease, a beetle infestation, new wildfire patterns and climate change. — Restoring redwood forests in California, particularly in areas damaged by logging. — Helping prevent the extinction of Hawaiian forest birds that could disappear because of mosquito-borne avian malaria. In the atmosphere Australian aid policy to focus on climate — and countering China— Rachel Pannett and Frances Vinall for The Post In photos: Wildfires in Portugal spread south, prompting evacuations— Morgan Coates for The Post US sees record number of billion-dollar disasters— Lauren Sforza for the Hill Amazon nations seek common voice on climate change, urge developed world to help protect rainforest— Fabiano Maisonnave and David Biller for the Associated Press The Weather Channel lands sit-down interview with Joe Biden to talk climate change— Ted Johnson for Deadline Viral We prefer the Lincoln Pawyer: A lot of people don’t know this, but an ocelot’s favorite TV show is Claw and Order.— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) pic.twitter.com/PZOtjnp9bI August 8, 2023 Thanks for reading!